Sound Bites

The number of iconic drink brands from the Maritimes can be counted on one hand. The icon of the of the wine industry is almost certainly Benjamin Bridge's Nova 7. The wine took Atlantic Canada by storm when it launched back in 2008. Despite its popular appeal Nova 7 has evolved over the years, reflecting new ideologies and a stronger, and stronger, commitment by the winery to its natural environment. So much so, despite the large volumes produced, Nova 7 has changed with the times. According to Jean-Benoit Deslauriers “one of the leaps of faith built into the identity of Nova 7 is making it with as little intervention as possible, so we are completely hands off on the winemaking side of things. There is just an indigenous fermentation taking place with no added sulfites, so the wine takes a different personality every year as a more transparent, connective representation of each vintage.” Deslauriers credits this with the massive consumer interest of the release of each vintage. Recently Benjamin Bridge introduced Super Nova 7 Cocktail the latest innovation for the brand, and its first departure outside of a classic wine space. A I recently interviewed Benjamin Bridge winemaker Jean-Benoit Deslauriers about the new product and the evolution of the Nova 7 brand.

In this episode ound Bites of I am pleased to welcome Laura McLachlan, one of the founders and co-owners of The August House, a boutique inn located in Windsor, Nova Scotia. Laura and I got to know each other originally via a more corporate relationship as I had the pleasure of working with Laura during her tenure at the Nova Scotia Liqour Corporation. Like a lot of people seeking a new path, Laura has given up her corporate marketing position for life as an entrepreneur. In her case, it is life as an innkeeper as she is one of the founders and owners of The August House, an inn that, along with others is giving new life to Windsor.

In this episode of Sound Bites I discuss the impact packaging can have on a craft food and drink brand with Sunil Sarwal, the creative force behind The Small Monsters. The Small Monsters, is just that, a small but might branding agency that is responsible for some pretty fantastic packaging. In my last episode of Sound Bites, I interviewed Deb Coleman of Libra non-alcoholic beer, a brand that Sunil just happened to work on. As I discovered crafting the liquid is just one part of crafting the story of a great food and drink brand.

Five years after launching Upstreet Brewing with business partner Mike Hogan, Mitch Cobb had gained a lot of experience and know how in the brewing world. He had also gained 60 pounds. Driven by a decision to reduce his alcohol intake, which Cobb notes as “a job hazard of owning a brewery”, in favour of a healthier lifestyle, Cobb and Hogan made the decision to partner with local marketing whiz Debra Coleman on an adventure into the non-alcoholic beer world. At the time, the craft non-alcoholic beer market in Canada, was in its infancy, dominated by mega brewery versions that offered little in terms of flavour. Upstreet had an opportunity to bring not only the craft philosophy but also the spirit of craft to the non-alcoholic beer industry. Introducing Libra, a company with a mission to deliver all the flavour of craft beer, without the alcohol. I sat down with Debra and discussed this remarkable local success story.

In this edition of Sound Bites, I interview Mike Howe of the Opimian Wine Club, Canada's largest wine club. The 50 year-old club is going through some changes to bring new life and excitement to this venerable Canadian wine institution.

Food and wine can seem complicated, even foreign, to many diners. In this episode of Sound Bites, Mark DeWolf chats with Evan Goldstein MS (Master Sommelier) about being a somm and how to simplifiy this seemingly complex concept of marrying food and drink.

In February, Nova Scotia experienced a polar vortex, and with it record low temperatures. The low temperatures followed unseasonably warm temperatures creating a devastating situation for Nova Scotia vineyards. In this episode I speak with Francisco Diez, Viticulture Specialist with Perennia Food and Agriculture Inc. and Michelle Bouffard, an internationally recognized wine journalist and founder of Tasting Climate Change, a conference that encourages conversations about the wine industry’s impact on the environment and solutions for wineries, regions feeling the impact of the world’s ever-changing climate. Michelle is hosting a conference for the local industry about climate change's impact on our wine industry this spring. Never has it been more important to support local.

On February 12th, two men led their team to a world championship. Patrick Mahones led the Kansas City Chiefs to victory at the Super Bowl, while Raimonds Tomsons, supported by his team from Latvia, took home the titled of ASI Best Sommelier of the World. While Mahomes was a bit of a challenge to track down, I was able to get an interview with Raimonds Tomsons. I asked him about his journey to win a title that had only be attained by sixteen other people over the last 50 years.